Autism - Blog

It’s true that almost every blog post could fit into this category, but we try to keep it mostly to those blog posts and articles that specifically reference autism itself. News, research, any articles that talk specifically about autism, rather than a related disorder, or behaviour.

A Review of Autism Treatments

Last week in the Globe and Mail, there was an article about the effectiveness of autism treatments over the past decade. Two of the findings published in the journal Pediatrics that stood out to me were:

Intensive behavioural and developmental therapy results in improved cognitive performance, language skills and behaviour in some young children, but few studies in this area were rated of good enough quality to single out specific approaches.
There is little evidence of benefit for most medications used to treat ASD.

Nova Scotia’s Autism Through the Lifespan Report

The Nova Scotia Government formed an advisory committee to help it improve services to those affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder. The Autism Management Advisory Team (AMAT) included representatives from local autism organizations such as the Provincial Autism Centre, Autism Society Nova Scotia, Autism Society of Cape Breton, AnnapolisValley Autism Support Team, and three government departments: Education, Community Services and Health.

The Death of A Myth: Dr. Wakefield and the MMR-Autism Link

On Thursday, January 6^th, the Globe and Mail ran an article about one of the great research frauds in recent history – Dr. Andrew Wakefield’s study that developed a probable link between the MMR vaccine as a cause of autism. Dr. Wakefield first published his findings in The Lancet on Feb. 28, 1998. He wanted the MMR vaccine replaced by three separate shots, then strangely enough he patented his own measles vaccine to replace the MMR one.

In 2004 a British journalist from The Sunday Times, Brian Deer, published evidence of Dr. Wakfield’s ties to the MMR lawsuit launched by a group against the vaccine. He was on their payroll and his research was going to be the centerpiece of the group’s claim. The children in the lawsuit were recruited unethically and there were other flaws in Wakefield’s study. For years, scientists have been trying to reproduce his findings but none have ever found a link between autism and the MMR vaccine.

Quest for Autism Services

Parents are in a constant quest for services, no matter what the age of their child with ASD. The need for services changes with both age and circumstances. What services for people on the autism spectrum are out there and how are they accessed?

Recently Diagnosed

If you are a parent who has recently received a diagnosis, finding services can seem like a maze. A good place to start is to visit your provincial government website and look under Child and Family Services. This will be called different things in different provinces, but most governments use a similar title. The government will list how to obtain funding, what programs are offered or subsidized, and what government policy is on assisting families with a disability.

Autism and Vulnerability

We just returned from our annual conference in Birmingham, UK. This year’s topic of autism and vulnerability was one not tackled in our previous conferences. The speaker, Marc Serruys, gave an excellent and informative talk on the subject and what it is that makes this population so vulnerable.

Temple Grandin: The HBO Movie

HBO’s film about Temple Grandin will air on Saturday, Feb. 6th. The film will focus on Temple’s childhood, teen years to young adulthood, and her journey to becoming a respected and sought-after inventor and researcher in the cattle industry.

The Third Part of the Triad: The Uneven Cognitive Profile

In my post back in September, I spoke about my UK friend, John Simpson who has Asperger Syndrome, and his own autism triad definition rather than the traditional triad of impairments. I’ve written about predictability and motivation in the triad. The third part of John’s triad is the uneven cognitive profile.

Thriving, Not Just Surviving, During the Holiday Season

The Christmas holidays were something I always enjoyed throughout my childhood and young adult life. It’s that time of year to recognize people you care about by giving a gift or a card. Family and friends get together to socialize. Routines can go by the wayside for a couple of weeks.

The Death of James Delorey, Child with Autism

Our autism community was in the headlines again last week over the tragic death of James Delorey in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. James, a non-verbal 7 year old with autism, ran from his house into the woods to chase the family dog. He was miraculously found alive 2 days later but had severe hypothermia from being out in the winter weather with no proper winter clothing on. He died the following day.

Learning Potential in People with Autism

I read an interesting article in today’s Globe and Mail about the learning potential in people with autism. Scientists used a brain scanner to find out what parts of the brain were at work when performing an intelligence test that measures reasoning.

Introducing Autism to Elementary Students

I went to my daughter Julia’s grade 4 class last week to give a presentation about autism. My main goal was to give the students a basic understanding of what autism is, what the strengths and difficulties are, and how they can be a friend to Julia.